Hall of Fame
Position: Quarterback
Years: 1910-1913
Place of Birth: Unknown
Date of Birth: Nov 15, 1890
Place of Death: Harrisburg, PA
Date of Death: Sep 20, 1966
Height: 5-5
Weight: 145
High School: Harrisburg, PA (Harrisburg HS)
The captains of the arch rival Penn and Penn State gathered at mid-field for the toss of the coin before the start of the 1911 game. Penn won the flip and elected to kickoff. It was a fatal mistake. Gene "Shorty" Miller, Penn State's heralded sophomore quarterback, weaved 95 yards for a touchdown. Minutes later, Miller scored again, this time on a 32-yard run, and Penn was demoralized. The Nittany Lions went on to a 22-6 victory and the first of two undefeated seasons. Miller was the Penn State spark plug then, a 5-5 power-pack who was all torso atop stubby legs. Football was fun in Miller's eyes, and those eyes frequently flashed with an impish glow that sent his teammates into roaring laughter. A natural mimic, Miller's favorite amusement was to imitate his coach, Jack Hollenback. He would stand in mock seriousness before his mates and deliver fearsome pep talks, which guaranteed the Lions would be loose once they took the field. Miller, the "Meteoric Midget" missed only one game during his four-year career at Penn State as the Lions went 23-8-2.
